Summer Break Just Began: What Plymouth Parents Should Know About Teen Curfew, Trespass, and Disorderly Conduct Charges

The last day of school for Plymouth-Canton students is here, and with it comes the most active stretch of the year for juvenile and young-adult criminal charges in Western Wayne County. Kids who have never been in trouble before suddenly find themselves in police contact at parks, parking lots, big-box store properties, and friends' houses after curfew. Aaron J. Boria has represented families through dozens of these summer-break cases — and the patterns are consistent.

Here are the charges Plymouth parents should understand before the calls start coming in.

Local Curfew Ordinances

Michigan does not have a single statewide juvenile curfew. Instead, individual cities and townships set their own. The City of Plymouth, Plymouth Township, Canton Township, and most surrounding communities have ordinances that prohibit minors from being in public places during certain late-night hours unless they are with a parent or have a legitimate reason. Violations are usually local ordinance citations, not state criminal charges, but they can:

• Trigger contact with law enforcement that escalates into other charges,
• Result in fines and required appearances,
• Show up in records that follow your child if other matters arise later.

If your child is repeatedly cited, the court can require parent appearances and impose additional conditions.

Trespass

Under MCL 750.552, criminal trespass is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. Trespass charges commonly arise when teens are found:

• In closed parks or school grounds after hours,
• Behind business properties or in construction zones,
• On someone else's residential property without permission,
• In abandoned buildings or partially fenced areas.

The element prosecutors must prove is that your child remained on the property after being told (or knowing) they were not permitted to be there. Signs, fences, and prior warnings matter. So does the layout of the property — what was actually visible to your child at the time?

Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly conduct under MCL 750.167 is a 90-day misdemeanor and is one of the most flexible charges in the Michigan code. It can apply to public intoxication, fighting in public, indecent or insulting conduct, jostling people, or a wide range of disruptive behavior. Officers use it as a catch-all when teens are gathered, loud, or refusing to disperse.

Malicious Destruction of Property

Vandalism — spray paint, broken windows, damaged mailboxes, kicked-in doors — is charged as Malicious Destruction of Property under MCL 750.377a. The penalty depends on the value of the damage:

• Less than $200: 93-day misdemeanor and $500 fine.
• $200 to $999: One-year misdemeanor and $2,000 fine.
• $1,000 to $19,999: Five-year felony and $10,000 fine.
• $20,000 or more: 10-year felony.

Group cases — where multiple teens are involved — can result in everyone being charged with the full damage amount even if one person did most of it.

Retail Fraud and Larceny

Boredom and dares lead to a spike in retail fraud charges at Twelve Oaks, Westland Shopping Center, Laurel Park Place, and even Plymouth's downtown vendors. Retail fraud is tiered by value under MCL 750.356c and 750.356d — first-degree (over $1,000) is a five-year felony.

Resisting and Obstructing

If your child has a verbal or physical confrontation with the responding officer, that single moment can transform a misdemeanor situation into a two-year felony under MCL 750.81d. Pulling away, refusing to identify yourself when required, or raising your voice in the wrong way can all be charged as obstruction.

What Parents Should Tell Their Kids Before Summer Starts

• If a police officer makes contact, be calm, polite, and identify yourself when required. Do not run.
• You can decline to consent to a search of your person, phone, or vehicle.
• You do not have to answer questions about where you have been or what you have been doing.
• If detained or arrested, ask for a lawyer and a parent immediately.
• Do not post about the incident on social media.

Where Cases Are Heard

City of Plymouth and Plymouth Township cases go to the 35th District Court. Canton Township is also covered by the 35th. Northville falls under the 35th. Livonia uses the 16th District Court. Westland uses the 18th. Felony cases for juveniles 17 and older are bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court. Cases involving juveniles under 17 are handled in Wayne County Juvenile Court (Family Division).

Why Early Representation Matters

Many summer charges are eligible for deferral, diversion, or HYTA (Holmes Youthful Trainee Act) treatment for 17- to 25-year-olds. These programs can lead to dismissal without a public record — but they have to be requested at the right moment, with the right paperwork, and with the prosecutor's office actually engaged. Without an attorney, your child may simply plead guilty to a permanent conviction at arraignment.

Call Boria Law

If your child has been cited, detained, or arrested anywhere in Wayne County this summer, Aaron J. Boria handles juvenile and young-adult criminal cases in the 35th District Court and across the region. Call (734) 453-7806 for a free, confidential consultation — the sooner the better.